The Detroit Red Wings remain the only team that has handed the Boston Bruins a regulation loss this season as a pair of power-play goals helped them to a 5-2 road win on Friday afternoon.
Alex DeBrincat and J.T. Compher each posted a goal and an assist to pace the Red Wings, who have won back-to-back games and taken points from five of their last six.
Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin and David Perron also lit the lamp, and Shayne Gostisbehere dished out two assists as Detroit never trailed in the game.
Ville Husso made 25 saves.
Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen scored for Boston, which had gained points in seven straight games since a 5-4 loss in Detroit on Nov. 4.
David Pastrnak reached the 30-point mark in 20 or fewer games for the third time in his career with an assist on DeBrusk’s goal.
Jeremy Swayman (24 saves) suffered his first regulation loss after starting 7-0-2.
After Pastrnak’s one-timer from the slot rang off the pipe in the opening four minutes, the Red Wings needed only 11 seconds of a power play to score first at the 5:13 mark. Compher tipped in a Gostisbehere point shot from above the left circle.
Detroit’s lead doubled when DeBrincat picked Boston rookie Matt Poitras’ pocket in the neutral zone and walked in to beat Swayman for an unassisted tally with 4:59 left in the first period.
A power-play goal got Boston on the board exactly three minutes into the middle frame. DeBrusk scored his second goal in as many games, banging in a puck at the net front that came loose after Pastrnak’s turnaround shot near the left dot.
After Swayman made several strong saves to hold off the Red Wings’ penalty kill, Daniel Sprong dished to Fabbri at the bottom of the right circle for a one-time goal at 13:24 of the second.
Heinen cut Boston’s deficit to 3-2 at 4:12 of the final frame. After Mason Lohrei’s point shot banked off the end wall, Charlie Coyle got a touch on the puck that led to Heinen knocking it home from in tight.
The visitors needed less than a minute and only six seconds of a man advantage to make it 4-2, as Compher passed to Larkin charging down the slot for a finish past an outstretched Swayman at 5:08 of the third.
Perron picked off a pass and hit an empty net from long range at 18:15 of the third.
–Field Level Media
